A BET IS A BET
by Ballyuk
Summary: Lois and Clark make a bet, and the loser has to carry out a forfeit of the winner's choosing. Who will win the bet? Set during the election campaign between 5x11 (Lockdown) and 5x12 (Reckoning).
1. The Bet

**Author's Note: I do not own the characters.  
**

* * *

 **A BET IS A BET.**

* * *

 **The Bet.**

Lois was pacing about the farmhouse living room with her ever-present schedule folder in one hand and a rolled up campaign poster in the other - the phone tucked under her ear.

"Stanley, please tell me you're kidding."

It was getting close to crunch time and the citizens of Kansas would be casting their votes to elect a new state Senator within a matter of days. After Jack Jennings had announced his decision not to run for re-election, he'd taken a back seat in order for the heat to die down after what the local press had dubbed 'The Windgate Affair'. While he'd had no involvement in the murder of the Windgate club stripper Melissa Paige, the fact that he'd personally met her gave rise to speculation that the two had been having an affair. This was neither confirmed nor denied by Senator Jennings as he kept his own counsel on the matter in public but he knew the writing was on the wall. That he had been a regular at the venue didn't reflect well on him either in light of the venue's notoriety for more seedy activity and clientele.

All of this meant that Jonathan Kent announced his intention to run very late in the day. Rival candidate Lex Luthor had both a head start on his campaign trail plus a vastly superior budget to fund it. Although Jack had not publicly commented on which side he would back, being the incumbent Senator and a long-term close friend of Jonathan's, added to the fact he'd initially intended to run again meant that he was seen as a rival to Lex. Privately of course, it was Jack who had encouraged Jonathan to run, believing that his friend's core values were exactly what the people of the state needed to believe would improve things.

Jonathan was currently out on the farm and Martha had gone into town to run a couple of errands. Clark was due back very shortly after his classes at Central Kansas University. So shortly in fact that it was his footsteps that could be heard traipsing up the front steps of the farmhouse. He could hear Lois on the phone dealing with yet another campaign problem and wanted to listen in. He knew she'd be so wrapped up in her latest rant that she wouldn't notice he'd got back.

Her current irritation was with somebody named Stanley whom she'd requested to help out a couple of days before Election Day, at the country fair taking place on Main Street in Smallville. The Kent campaign scarcely had the budget for radio and television ads, unlike Lex's, so they had to improvise and do things decidedly old school. Stanley was a tall man and his height was a definite advantage for what Lois had required, but he'd now left her in a jam.

"You promised me you'd do it. We agreed terms and I got all your stuff, and now you're backing out!"

"Look Miss Lane, I don't know what to tell ya. I've got two kids to put through college and this gig ain't gonna help me bring in the dough. Luthor has agreed to pay me triple what we agreed. I gotta go with the money, kid."

Lois was more annoyed now that he'd called her 'kid'. It smacked of a lack of respect and highlighted her worries that the Kent campaign would not be taken seriously because it lacked the professional slickness the public had come to expect from election candidates.

"You gotta go with the money," she repeated back to him. "That's _exactly_ how Lex thinks he can win this election, by buying people off."

Stanley piped up urgently. "Sorry Miss Lane, I gotta go. Bye." With that he hung up the phone, leaving Lois to sigh resignedly.

Clark had been standing in the hallway out of view of Lois. It had occurred to him to tease or crack some joke at her expense but he realised that not only would it not be appreciated, but she didn't deserve it either. Clark had been very sceptical when his dad fired an experienced campaign manager and installed Lois in his place. Lois was totally unqualified for the position and her brusque manner could so easily rub people up the wrong way which would be a problem for his dad's chances of winning.

However, Clark couldn't help but be impressed by Lois' tenacity and commitment to her role, combining it with extra shifts at the Talon. Her never-say-die attitude had gotten the campaign one or two prime time ad slots which was much better than multiple slots on seldom seen cable channels at ungodly hours. Maybe her manner was a positive thing for the campaign. He also knew that she was pretty popular with the state's movers and shakers - the guys who could cajole voters depending on which candidate they endorsed publicly - on account of her looks. Though he'd never tell her face to face, she was a very good-looking girl which combined with her attitude certainly made her eye-catching.

He decided to speak. "Problems?"

Lois jumped out of her skin, the poster dropping out of her hand onto the kitchen counter as she fumbled to stop the phone from dropping. She turned around to face him.

"God Clark, you scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry Lois. I heard you on the phone when I walked in. Things not going well then I take it." His grin turned into a smile of sympathy as he said the words.

Lois decided to brush it off and instead started to talk about how swamped she was with the campaign.

"Yeah. So much to do and so little time. It doesn't help when people bail at the last minute. I'm already short-handed for jazzing up the Talon for the red white and blue election night shindig, and now Stanley has decided to join the dark side."

Clark actually felt bad for her. She'd put so much work in and might have little to show for it come election night.

"Lois, I have to sit for a couple of interviews because they want me and mom in there but if there's anything else I can do to help…"

Lois squinted at him. She was surprised that he wanted to help her rather than just stay out of her way. Maybe his time away from Smallville had broadened his horizons in a short space of time. Maybe he was seriously looking beyond the corn fields. Maybe not being in each others' hair and at loggerheads all the time had given him a chance to re-evaluate where they stood. Maybe there was something he could do to help.

She picked up the rolled up poster. "Actually, I need to put a few of these up in Metropolis. Most of the usual places are covered but I thought one or two near Suicide Slum couldn't hurt. The poster's message should appeal to the people and maybe get them out to vote. Seeing a guy like Lex only serves to highlight why they continue to live in those conditions and struggle to find work. Mr Kent represents the total opposite of what they're used to. He's a symbol of hope."

Clark stood mouth agape. The commitment she'd been giving the campaign had impressed him but he was now impressed with how her mind was working here. If Lois could just find a path and stick to it with the same tenacity she'd shown during the campaign, she could be a real whirlwind at whatever she chose to do. It would almost certainly involve bossing people around, he thought.

Truth be told, he hadn't been following the campaign with a great deal of interest but he knew that Lex's mandate was geared towards helping the wealthy to protect their wealth. His endorsements were almost exclusively from the wealthy middle and upper classes plus titans of industry - people who had vast wealth to protect. The people living in Suicide Slum and places like it were an afterthought and couldn't identify with him. Since they knew little of Jonathan's mandate, the ones who were eligible to vote were still unlikely to go and vote because the choice was between somebody they didn't know and somebody they didn't like - both options which wouldn't improve the quality of life for the city's less well-off. If you're going to remain marginalised, why bother to exercise your right to vote?

"Hey Smallville, look alive!" Lois barked.

Clark blinked. "Right…posters in Metropolis. I can do that if you like. How many do we have?"

"Five hundred," replied Lois, going back to her file to check her schedule. "They're all at my apartment at the minute."

"Done," said Clark. This was one of those times when his alien roots were a real blessing because the super-speeding sure came in handy.

Lois scoffed. The posters needed to be up within 24 hours to give at least a bit of time for the message to get through. With Clark's other campaign commitments, she very much doubted he had the time.

"You! You're gonna put up 500 posters by tomorrow night?"

"What's the matter Lois, you don't think I can do it?" Clark challenged. Their normal to-and-fro banter was coming back.

Lois smiled. "Unless you plan on dropping them out of the sky, I don't see how you can do it. If you're thinking of hiring a plane, you'd better crack open that piggy bank because I can tell you, we don't have the budget to cover Farmboy Airways."

Clark narrowed his eyes at the jibe. "Don't worry about the how, but I can get it done. The question is, what will _you_ be doing?"

"After Mr Kent's interview over breakfast, I'll be helping the campaign team take pledges. I can sweet talk a few high rollers into handing over the green. Fifty thousand dollars, easy."

She kicked herself inwardly for mentioning numbers, and $50,000 was ridiculously optimistic, but her eyes revealed the glint they usually got when she had an idea. Clark's eyes had lit up in much the same way as though he'd had the same idea. They both got a smirk on their faces.

"Care to make it interesting?" she asked before adding, "I bet I can take at least fifty thousand in pledges by the end of the night. There's no way you'll get 500 posters up in time."

"Lois, I know _I_ can do it. I doubt even your sweetest of sweet talking will pull in that much in pledges though," Clark responded. The bet was on.

"If you can't do it Smallville, you have to carry out a forfeit of my choosing," said Lois, warming to the task. She knew she had him.

Clark dangled a carrot of his own. "And if you fail, _you_ have to carry out a forfeit of _my_ choosing."

Lois straightened her shoulders and squared her jaw. Putting her hand out, she said, "You've got yourself a deal."

The two shook hands. The bet was indeed on.


	2. The Tasks

**The Tasks.**

Early morning, and Clark was outside the Talon loading campaign posters onto the bed of the truck. They were tied in bundles of 100, and Clark laid them side by side so they sat snugly. He'd chosen to set off early to make it look as though he'd be spending most of the day putting up posters and he knew that heading to the Talon early would irritate Lois, who had hoped to lie in for another hour. He couldn't help but grin widely when she'd opened the door with the mother of all grumpy expressions on her face. His cheery good morning salutation had been met with an eye roll and a groan before Lois pointed out the stack of posters.

"Thanks for the ride Clark," said Chloe, stepping out of the Talon with a coffee in hand. She needed to get back to Metropolis but her car was in the shop having developed a steering problem so she'd asked to hop along with Clark. She got into the passenger seat as Clark made his way over to the driver's seat.

"Why are _you_ putting up the posters again?" she asked as Clark started the engine.

"Chloe, you know I can do it in a matter of seconds. Lois doesn't think I can do it at all."

"Oh, so you want to prove yourself to her," replied Chloe with a smirk. She knew that despite the outward bickering, Lois and Clark were firm friends and with the way they often looked at one another when they thought the other wasn't looking, maybe they had the potential to be something more. Chloe had never raised the issue knowing she'd be given short shrift, but her powers of observation meant that she knew what was really happening.

Clark scoffed. "It's not like that. She thinks she can get $50,000 in pledges by tonight, and that I won't manage to put up this many posters in time."

Chloe looked over at him questioningly. "You guys made a bet, didn't you?"

Clark cleared his throat.

"So what does the winner get? No, more importantly, what does the _loser_ get?" she asked. They were nothing if not super-competitive.

"The winner gets to pick a forfeit for the loser, and the loser has to do it," grumbled Clark. He hadn't intended to discuss the agreement with Chloe.

"Interesting," replied Chloe with a glint in her eye, "very interesting."

* * *

They were perhaps halfway to Metropolis and the route involved crossing a bridge over the river. It was at that moment that Clark and Chloe heard a sharp slapping sound coming from behind them together with a whistle of wind. Looking in his rear view mirror, Clark's eyes widened and he turned to look at the back window, as did Chloe. One of the campaign posters was stuck to the window, with Jonathan Kent's image smiling and waving at him.

 _Bring in the winds of real change - Vote Kent for Kansas._

The slogan had been Lois' idea, and she'd got the inspiration whilst driving home and listening to The Scorpions.

They'd got off the bridge and the road carried on through the adjoining small town. Clark pulled the truck into a space and got out, heading to see the back of the truck and removing the stuck poster. Four of the stacks were still intact but the string binding the fifth had snapped after snagging against the side of the bed, sending around half the posters from that stack into the air as they were driving. Looking back over at the bridge, he could see some of them still fluttering in the air but the vast majority had blown over the bridge and down towards the river, ready to be washed away downstream. Clark rubbed his hand in his hair, exasperated. He'd lost the bet before he'd even got started.

Chloe stepped out of the truck and walked towards Clark.

"You could still get all the other posters up. How would Lois even know you didn't manage to do them all?"

Clark looked downcast. It had been a very warm and sunny morning with just a slight breeze. Looking up at the sky, he could make out some dark clouds on the horizon. _How apt!_

* * *

Lois was again pacing about the farmhouse on the phone. She was in the middle of a call talking to the head of the local farmer's union. He'd already pledged support to the Kent campaign on behalf of the union and had ratified some union funds, but Lois was trying to get him to commit more.

"Look Mr Hill, I'm just asking for an extra ten Ks here. I know it's asking a lot but you'll get your money back, and the union will be even stronger for being aligned with Senator Kent. Think about it."

The union head was apologetic and said he couldn't hope to commit so much extra without holding a meeting first, and there was no time for that in the run up to Election Day. He offered $2000 which Lois grudgingly had to accept. The $50,000 target was looking even further away.

The morning had gone without a hitch as the breakfast interview in the farmhouse was recorded by a local TV station, to be aired in the afternoon and on several news programmes. It included a walk and talk as Mr Kent took the interviewer on a tour of the farm, all the while clarifying various elements of his mandate. The intention was to make him look less like a politician and more like a man of the people. It might not have been as slick as Lex Luthor's campaign interviews but it was the message that was being given centre stage. Jonathan Kent wasn't trying to show himself to be someone he was not.

After that, Jonathan had a lunch appointment with his friend Jack. This was a private matter but Jack wanted to take the opportunity to fill Jonathan in on any loose ends from his own senatorship and tell him about which people could be relied upon going forward. It was a way to help ease the transition for Jonathan into his potential new role. This meant Lois was going to spend the rest of the day handling all the other campaign management issues. She'd already agreed for somebody else to cover her Talon shift.

* * *

Chloe had called Clark to ask if she could get a ride back home again. He'd long since finished putting all the posters up without being spotted, although tongues had got wagging as people suddenly saw a proliferation of Kent campaign posters whereas before, Lex's prominence had been noticeable. Suicide Slum in particular began to look more and more pro-Kent. Even so, the posters had been tastefully arranged instead of covering every available space like the mosaics of the Lex campaign. There was no air of desperation about it.

Having picked up Chloe from her Met U dorm, the two of them made their way back home to Smallville. Clark wondered how he was going to tell Lois about the poster fiasco.

* * *

Lois was now beginning to get a headache. She and the campaign volunteers had been on the phones for hours and had scarcely touched $20,000 in extra pledges. The volunteers had been getting antsy as they also had other places to be and it wasn't long before Lois was on her lonesome. She poured herself another cup of coffee and was about to dial the next number on the list when one of the volunteers popped her head back in.

"Hey Lois, have you seen the news?" She stepped into the Talon apartment's living room and turned up the volume on the TV, switching over to a channel where they were pro-Luthor. The reporter was talking about the campaign posters found washed up in the river, with commentators in the studio gleefully proclaiming the incident to be a metaphor for the Kent campaign. The message being drummed into viewers was that Jonathan Kent was washed up and that Lex Luthor was the future.

Lois could feel the anger rising but at the same time, Smallville the bumbling farmboy would never purposely drop a clanger like that in his own father's campaign. Something must have happened. Just as the volunteer silently made her escape to avoid a tirade from Lois, both Clark and Chloe entered the apartment. Both looked sheepish and weary.

Clark could see the news item on the TV and was quick to apologise.

"I'm sorry Lois. One of the stacks broke free and I couldn't save the posters. I did put up all the rest though. We probably lost most of that stack but that means we still managed to put up more than 400 posters."

Lois' reply surprised him a little. "It wasn't your fault Clark. I've been having a bad day too," she sighed.

Clark gave her an inquisitive glance. "How much did you manage to sweet talk?"

Lois shuffled nervously on her feet, looking down at the floor mumbling, "Tntthosn."

Clark had understood what she'd said whereas Chloe hadn't, but he couldn't help making a show of asking her again.

"Twenty. Thousand. Dollars, Smallville. There, you happy?" she grumbled.

Clark chuckled. "No. You've actually done a great job running this campaign. I can't really fault the effort you've put in. I guess we both just had a bad day."

It was Lois' turn to be surprised by Clark's response. It was a pat on the back and words of encouragement from the least likely person on the planet to offer her that.

They both looked at one another silently for a moment before Chloe cleared her throat, getting their attention.

"So, if neither of you guys won the bet, shouldn't you both have to do the forfeit?"

They both looked at her open-mouthed.


	3. The Forfeits

**The Forfeits.**

It was a beautifully warm and sunny day in Smallville, with barely a breeze to be felt. Main Street was closed to traffic and was decked out with stands offering all manner of delicious treats as the country fair was in full swing. There was plenty of food and drink to be had plus entertainment in the form of a coconut shy, a dunk tank, a finger painting booth for the kids, plus a makeshift dancefloor where a hoedown was taking place with music provided by local country and folk musicians. The atmosphere was extremely relaxed and jovial as the whole town - plus a number of people from nearby towns - had come out to enjoy the event. Only two people were feeling a little less than jovial right now, but both had plastered on smiles for the occasion.

Lois was sat beside the small stand just in front of the Talon which had remained closed for the day. Somehow, Martha had managed to find time to bake a plethora of brownies and muffins as well as make several pitchers of fresh lemonade. People were free to leave change in a jar if they wished, and the money would be donated to the local hospital. The cakes were disappearing fast as was the lemonade as people sought a homespun sweet treat plus a little cooling refreshment. A lot of youngsters and more than a few adults had wanted their photo taken with Lois, who reluctantly obliged.

The reason for this was entirely down to what Lois was wearing. Clark had given her one of his mom's red plaid shirts to borrow, with the sleeves rolled up past the elbow, the top two buttons undone to reveal a little cleavage and the bottom two undone so she could tie a knot, revealing a little midriff. The shirt was complimented by a pair of denim shorts which showed off her long tanned legs, and included a leather belt with a huge buckle. She'd chosen to wear her own white sneakers for comfort and had her hair down. She presented one hell of an image that drew a lot of appreciative male attention and some jealous female attention. Lois was the sexiest girl at the fair, bar none - a Daisy Duke for the new century. She was supremely irritated with Clark for coming up with the idea because here she was as the country girl clad in plaid she was absolutely adamant she'd never ever be.

While Lois was drawing attention to herself, Clark was drawing attention of a different kind. He'd spent the best part of an hour early in the morning learning how to maintain his balance and it was far from easy. The stilts were double framed to provide the same rigidity as human shin bones, but they were one metre in length. After many tumbles, including one into the side of the barn that left a gaping hole in the wood, he felt he'd got enough of a hang of it and was ready for the day. Having Lois helping to get him ready behind the Talon was no easy task either. The sooner his forfeit was over, the better.

The real embarrassment for him was the outfit he'd been asked to wear. Lois was grateful that Stanley was of similar physical stature to Clark because it meant the outfit she'd provided could be put to good use. Said outfit was the stereotypical Uncle Sam stars and stripes. It had white leather shoes and red and white striped pants covering all the way down over the stilts, with a tear-off point on the pants where foot met stilts. There was a shiny blue long-tailed jacket which had red and white striped lapels together with a matching rosette with the words 'Vote Kent' on the left breast. Underneath the jacket was a starched white shirt tied together with a red and white striped bow tie. The ensemble was completed with a red-rimmed hat which continued the striped theme and had a blue band around it replete with white stars. The buttons on the jacket were also blue with a white star in the centre. You could not fail to notice Clark, and he knew it.

He had spent some time gingerly walking up and down Main Street, waving to the crowds and getting his picture taken. Though his face showed amusement, he was churning inside and mad at Lois for cooking up the idea. He'd spent his life avoiding drawing attention to himself yet here he was, with people pointing, staring and laughing at him.

Jonathan and Martha had been walking around the fair a little further down the street, shaking hands with and thanking well-wishers and asking them to make sure they voted on Election Day. Chloe and Lana had turned up to see what was going on, with Chloe in particular curious to see the forfeits her best friend and cousin had concocted. She had a feeling it would be embarrassing but even so, her jaw dropped at what she witnessed.

Walking up to the cake and lemonade stand, they both failed to suppress their laughter at the sight of Lois.

"Oh my god, _this_ is what Clark put you up to?" giggled Chloe.

"Lois, I gotta say, you look great!" laughed Lana. She knew Lois had a very agreeable body but she usually hid it behind tomboy attire, preferring jeans and low-cut tops to give a semblance of femininity. This outfit was pure male fantasy and she was surprised that it was Clark's suggestion.

Lois scowled and put her hands to her hips. "I'm getting drooled all over by little boys and grown men who should know better."

"Have you seen Clark?" asked Chloe as Lana looked around. She didn't have to look far.

Not more than 10 metres behind them, Clark had taken a tumble and ended up flat on his back on the sidewalk. His hat had tipped forward and was covering the top half of his face as he flailed about. Passers-by had moved out of the way and the younger ones were laughing.

Lois smirked. "Thanks to me, he's extended his fashion sense beyond all things flannel."

Lana and Chloe moved towards him, laughing even harder than they had with Lois. Upon hearing their laughter, he raised his hat and sighed wearily.

"Gotta hand it to my cuz, she did a real number on you!" laughed Chloe as Clark tried to stand himself back up. He failed miserably, landing heavily on his backside with a groan. Lana raised her hand to her mouth although she still found it funny.

Lana asked, "Clark, are you OK?"

Clark didn't want to point out that spotting Lana in the crowd was the reason he'd taken a tumble. "Hey Lana, Chloe. Yeah I'm fine. I just can't work these stilts. Could you guys do me a favour and help me take them off."

Chloe and Lana each bent down to grab a foot as Clark sat up and leaned forward to release the straps attached to his feet. After the stilts and tear-offs had been removed, he took the shoes and put them on. Still dressed ridiculously, he was at least able to walk normally now which was a small blessing. The three of them headed back to Lois' stand.

"Clark, was it your idea for Lois to dress up like that?" asked Lana.

"Actually, I suggested she go for a stars and stripes outfit too but she shot that idea down and went with my second choice," he replied as Lois glared at him.

Chloe's eyes bugged out as she realised the implication. Clark had wanted Lois to embarrass herself with her Windgate club stripper outfit.

The country music in the background died down a little and the band's lead singer called for Jonathan and Martha to come over and say a few words. They both made their way over, with Jonathan taking the mic to a small round of applause.

"Uh, thank you everybody. Just for today, I would like to keep the politics out of it and just have everybody enjoy themselves. It's a beautiful day so why not? However, I would like to thank everybody for their support and let you know that come what may, I am humbled and truly honoured to have had so much support. To my wife Martha - I would not be the man I am today without you, sweetheart. It really is as simple as that. I love you."

Martha smiled and leaned in to give him a little kiss as the crowds cheered. The Smallville Gazette's photographer asked if he could take some photos to which they agreed but after the first couple of photos, Jonathan took to the mic again to ask for "my son Clark and my campaign manager Lois to come and join us."

Lois and Clark both looked at one another wide eyed before slowly stepping forward. They were now going to be immortalised in the local paper in these outfits. As they got closer, Chloe and Lana had moved towards the front to get a closer look. Jonathan and Martha then spotted Clark and Lois approaching and their mouths dropped. Neither had known about the bet or the outfits. As they both walked up to the Kents, Jonathan took to the mic again.

"I have to say, I wasn't expecting this," he chuckled as they both looked at the ground sheepishly, trying to avoid the eyes in the crowd. "Knowing these two like I do, I'm guessing they both made a bet and both lost, and this is the forfeit. While I'm certainly curious to know more, I should add that they represent the hard work and dedication that I value. No doubt, as hard as it was to keep to their word on this, keep to their word they did."

He turned to Clark. "Clark, you are turning into a fine young man right in front of my eyes, and a son any father can be proud of - present state of dress excepted!" There was some laughter from the crowd before he continued, turning to Lois. "Lois, your passion and determination are to be admired and I am proud of the person you've become too. Martha and I consider you to be one of the family."

Lois looked up to see Jonathan and Martha smiling at her as a few in the crowd went 'Ahh!'. She didn't know what to say. She'd long since hoped to be accepted by the Kents because she'd become very fond of them and felt relaxed in the stable family environment they'd worked so hard to create at the farm, but to have them acknowledge and accept her in public brought tears to her eyes. Tears she kept at bay as the photographer lined up the extended Kent family for a few group photos, plus a couple of photos of just Lois and Clark on their own.

Talking through gritted teeth, they continued their own conversation.

"As soon as I get home, I'm getting out of this," said Lois.

"As soon as I get home, I am _burning_ this," replied Clark.

Both recognised that Clark's dad was right though. They had indeed kept to their word.

Jonathan handed the mic back to the band's singer. As the music started up again, he requested for Jonathan and Martha to join the hoedown. Before long, Clark's parents were dancing along with the band members as more folk joined in. Martha waved to Clark and Lois to join in, to which they both reluctantly agreed. Despite their reluctance, they both actually enjoyed themselves.

A little later on, they were walking around the fair with Lana and Chloe, sipping on lemonade and nibbling on the barbecued short ribs from one of the many barbecue stands. No matter how messy they got, everybody loved barbecued short ribs. Chloe had had a go at the coconut shy, failing miserably. As they all moved along, they heard a shout from somewhere nearby.

"Hey Miss Lane, how about a go at the dunk tank."

Before she'd had a chance to register the request, Clark had dashed over to where players had to stand to throw the ball, catching the ball that was tossed to him.

"C'mon Lois. You got me once. Now it's my turn." He had a huge grin on his face despite his ridiculous outfit.

Lois felt her heart sink. She knew his throwing arm was a thing of wonder but with so many people now watching her, she couldn't chicken out. Her only course of action was to summon up the bravado and hope that his aim was off. Handing her phone and keys to Chloe, she made her way up to the platform above the tank.

"Bring it on, Farmboy! You might have been the high school quarterback, but that target is not a meathead jock in the end zone."

Clark let the first couple of throws miss just to get Lois to flinch before she upped the verbal sparring. Victory would be all the sweeter as he knew he'd land the third throw. They were in their own little battle of wills as the gathering crowd began to chant, "Dunk! Dunk! Dunk!..."

"When it comes to getting _me_ Smallville, _you_ don't have what it takes!" Lois taunted.

Within seconds, Lois heard the 'thunk' of ball hitting target and felt the platform give way, sampling free floating in air for a millisecond before she dropped suddenly into the drink. Clark roared with delight as a huge cheer went up in the crowd. Chloe and Lana were laughing heartily as Clark high-fived a few people beside him. Lois rose to the surface with a look of shock on her face. Wiping the water out of her eyes and off her face, she watched Clark strut towards her with the smuggest grin she'd ever seen before he removed his top hat and placed it on her head. As her wet clothes clung to her body, eliciting yet more appreciative stares and whoops from the male populace observing, all she could do was try to splash Clark as he ducked away laughing.

This little game between them was going to run and run. You could bet on that.

* * *

 **FIN.**


End file.
